BBC refuses to face up to the crimes of Rolf Harris

Rolf Harris will be back in court later tonight (AEST) to face sentence after being convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault on girls aged between 7 and 19. Harris will almost certainly die in jail. Good riddance.

There will be plenty of interest in his sentence in Australia and indeed around the world but it is in the UK where his crimes have been met with shock and despair.

The British actor, author and professional troublemaker, Russell Brand, best summed up the commentary surrounding Harris’s crimes: “It just makes you feel that reality is very muddled and confusing, like you have to revise your own childhood.”

Harris was like a part of the furniture for the British. He had been making television appearances for the BBC from the early 1960s until 2013 when he was charged whereas Australians outgrew Harris, his cringeworthy mock ‘Strine’ accent and his naff songs, one of which included the appalling lyrics, “Let me Abos go loose, Lou. They’re of no further use.”

His sentence will not be the end of the Rolf Harris story. Nor should it be. Other alleged victims are coming forward. Harris may face further charges both here and in the UK. Civil prosecutions are bound to take place. It will be years before all matters are dealt with.

Harris’s fall into shame and disgrace has occurred in the shadow of Jimmy Savile’s outrages. Savile, with an estimated 500 victims, may well be the worst sex offender the world has ever seen yet he died unpunished and his funeral was attended by tens of thousands of mourners in his hometown of Leeds in 2012.

Parallels have been drawn between Harris’s crimes and those of celebrity publicist Max Clifford, who was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of eight indecent assaults on girls aged between 14 and 19.

But there is another, more compelling case to consider.

Stuart Hall, one of the BBC’s most well-known presenters, most famous as the giggling idiot host of “It’s a Knockout” --a reality TV show meets kitsch slapstick which found its expression in various similar television shows on Australian screens.

In May last year Hall, 84, pleaded guilty to 14 indecent assaults of 13 victims and was ultimately sentenced to two and a half years in jail. His victims, all girls, were aged between 9 and 15. He was charged with a further 15 offences, including rape, in October 2013. In May this year he was convicted of two of those charges and sentenced to a further 30 months’ imprisonment.

Two of Hall’s victims have stated that they were assaulted on BBC premises.

The Dame Janet Smith Review was established in October 2012 by the BBC to conduct an impartial, independent review of the culture and practices of the broadcaster during the years that Jimmy Savile worked there.

Hall’s conviction forced a review of the inquiry’s terms of reference to include evidence from Hall’s victims, both known in the course of his trial and any who may be yet to come forward.

However any crimes that Rolf Harris may have committed on the BBC’s watch will not be part of the inquiry. The BBC dismisses any broadening of its inquiry to include Harris.

A spokesman for the BBC said yesterday, “The convictions do not relate to the BBC. We already have the Dame Janet Smith review which is making an impartial and independent investigation into the past culture and practices of the BBC during the period Savile worked for the corporation.

“And related to that, we commissioned an independent assessment of our current child protection and whistleblowing policies which will report later in the year.”

This is an extraordinary statement given Harris was a serial sexual predator, making television for the BBC for more than 50 years. While it is true that the crimes Harris has been convicted of to date were not committed on BBC premises or while Harris was in the performance of his duties for the BBC, it would be reasonable to believe it is possible Harris may have offended in the course of his work for the British national broadcaster.

Our own Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have revealed awful crimes and cover-ups from religious organisations, youth and welfare groups. We know that individuals in positions of authority acted to protect the reputations of these institutions and their duty of care to protect children was shamefully disregarded.

The conviction of Harris tells us the BBC’s conduct is no different. An organisation that spends its energies on pursuits of the truth around the world should welcome the shedding of light within its own walls.

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Jack the Insider

Jack the Insider is a highly placed, dedicated servant of the nation with close ties to leading figures in politics, business and the union movement. Jack tends to be present at crucial moments in world history, ready to grapple with huge events and give them a gentle nudge. His real identity must remain unknown for obvious reasons. Jack's new book The Insider's Guide To Power In Australia is available from Random House.